We’re in the dog days of summer here in Pennsylvania, and today is a dog day in more ways than one. It was 61 years ago today that the Great Dane became the official state dog.

Why the Great Dane? According to the legislation that designated the Great Dane as the state dog, “the physical and other attributes of the Great Dane, to wit: size, strength, beauty, intelligence, tolerance, courage, faithfulness, trustworthiness and stability exemplify those of Pennsylvania.” 

There’s even a line in there about the Great Dane’s head resembling the outline of Pennsylvania’s boundaries. Also, our state’s founder, William Penn, had a Great Dane, so there’s that, too.

Interested in learning more about the official state things of Pennsylvania, like our official train, amphibian, beverage (spoiler alert: It’s not a Yuengling lager), and song? You’ve come to the right place.

Village Diner is a classic spot along US Route 6 in Milford. (Joseph/Creative Commons)

Having grown up in New Jersey, I am quite familiar with diners. Jersey diners are where I developed my love of extremely crispy home fries with peppers and onions, and a fondness for any kind of pastry in a rotating display case, especially black and white cookies.

Pennsylvania has its own storied diner tradition, with many classic roadside diners from the pre-interstate days still in operation, like Erie’s Lawrence Park Dinor (yes, dinor), the Village Diner in Milford, Pike County, and Dean’s Diner in Blairsville, Indiana County, which has been in business since 1938.

Our food and travel writer Kalena Thomhave has all the details on these and other classic Pa. roadside diners.

• More than a quarter of Pennsylvania’s rural hospitals ended the past fiscal year in the red as they reckoned with an aging patient population, rising costs, and dwindling payments from government programs. Find out more here.

• A Philadelphia teacher shares how much her student loan payments are going up as a result of changes to the federal student loan system required by President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Get more details here.

• Pennsylvania is the third-largest energy producer in the United States, but southeastern Pennsylvania households are paying more for electricity anyway—20% more. Find out why.

Dot Bunn advises her student John McCarron, 88, on how best to paint the ribbon of a ballet slipper at her Doylestown studio. (USA Today Network via Reuters Connect)

From covered bridges to rolling farmland, the pastoral landscapes of Upper Bucks County come to life in Dot Bunn’s oil paintings. Her award-winning work illuminates the beauty of Pennsylvania’s four seasons with expert technical skill.

The lifelong Bucks County resident has always enjoyed art, but it wasn’t until later in life that she committed to her creative practice full-time.

Now approaching her 80th birthday, Bunn jokes that she no longer climbs onto scaffolding to paint, as she did when contributing a panoramic mural to the historic Strawberry Mansion in Philadelphia. But from leading multiple art classes at her studio every week to appearing in acclaimed art shows, including the 2026 Oil Painters of America National Small Work Exhibition, her enthusiasm hasn’t faltered.

Learn about how Bunn is channeling Bucks County’s rich artistic heritage by capturing the region’s charm in her work.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Kalena Thomhave, Lena Pothier, Robert Gundran, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and Pubic News Service. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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